FARMnewsTHE NEWSLETTER OF WILLOWS FARM ANIMAL VETERINARY PRACTICE

FEBRUARY 2014

Contact numbers

• VETS •Mark Proctor

07831 548416John Dawson

07803 902600Simon Jones

07974 702449Richard Thomas

07974 122025Ben Pedley

07974 072453Darrell Irwin

07974 928051Owen Tunney

07855 822095Emyr Rowlands

07968 817979Jonny Duncan

07960 956996Laurence Allwood 07961 820115

Caroline Bunn07968 749141

Rachel Adams 07557 746682

Ed Loveday 07539 641393Gethin Edwards

07795 574629• HOOF CARE •

Steve Austin01565 723098

Hartford Office267 Chester Road, Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 1LP

Telephone: 01606 723200Alsager Office

The Point, Crewe Road, Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 2GPTelephone: 01270 872670

Deva Vets OfficeThe Smithy, Chester Road, Aldford Chester CH3 6HJ

Telephone: 01244 670170

Preparing for LambingMany of you will now be preparing for the upcoming lambing season, if you haven’t already started! You might think that it has come round sooner than you expect, but it is never too late to do some preparation in advance as it could. The last six weeks of pregnancy is when 75% of a lamb’s growth occurs in the womb, therefore appropriate nutrition during period is essential, to ensure an appropriate lamb birth weight and good quality colostrum.Ultrasound scanning to determine how many lambs your sheep carry around 12-14 weeks after the rams are introduced will aid in deciding how much to feed your ewes and will also be an early indication of how successful your breeding season has been.The nutrient demand will depend on:

• Length of the feeding period

• Ewe size

• Expected number of lambs

• Current body condition score.Depending on the size of the ewe, nutrient demand can more than double as lambing approaches. A useful tool to perform is body condition scoring (BCS) to assess the amount of muscle and fat the ewes are carrying pre-lambing. Aim for a BCS of 3-3.5 at lambing with 90% of your flock between 2 and 3.5. should be done as soon as possible after scanning, to allow changes to be made and to have separate groups.

4-6 weeks pre-lambingA four to six week pre lambing check will allow you to identify lean or over fat ewes and feed accordingly, although care is needed not to underfeed ewes. Some people like to house ewes at point as it allows total control over their feed intake, and ewes are not affected by adverse weather etc.This would also tie in with your 8 in 1 Clostridial Vaccination (Heptavac-P Plus, Covexin 8/10) which also occurs during this period and is essential to protect the

newborn lambs against diseases such as puply kidney, lamb dysentery etc. It is advisable that your late lambing ewes are vaccinated some 7-10 days later to allow sufficient antibodies in the colostrum. You also need to consider worming your ewes to prevent the Periparturient Rise (PPR) in worm eggs that occurs at lambing. Please speak to a vet or our SQP Mark Pass.

This would be a good opportunity . . .

to get your vet involved and discuss pre-lambing issues. We

could Blood sample your ewes to identify if your ewes are likely to be deficient in energy, protein, or are suffering from conditions

such as fluke (by testing for ketones (BHB’s), Urea and

Albumin). At the same time why not test the mineral status of your ewes, which could affect

lamb survival (copper, selenium/Vitamin E, Iodine and cobalt).

Continued on Page 2

GO KARTINGWe are pleased to announce that wehave booked this year’s event.When: Wednesday 19th MarchWhere: Warrington SpeedkartingTime: 6.30 for 6.45 pmWe are limited to around 40 places soit’s first come first served. Hot pot supperkindly sponsored by Merial.

To book your place please call Hartford on 01606 723200

The long awaited 3rd round of the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme is finally here!!DEFRA have made available the handbook for the 3rd round of the FFIS Grant detailing what will be grant funded under the scheme (pages 20-27). The scheme will open to applications on Feb 4th and close on April 4th. The handbook is available for download from the DEFRA website, see below:http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/assets/files/New%20Offer/DEF-PB14063-RDPE-FFIS-2013-WEB.pdfIt is no longer a requirement that farms in the North West will have to have a Livestock NW health and welfare action plan from SAC to apply - but justification that the grant is necessary - so a health plan from your vet will still be needed to stand a chance of being successful!The maximum grant per business for FFIS Round 3 is now £35,000 and the minimum grant is £2,500. Applicants who have received grant funding in previous FFIS rounds are eligible to apply and can apply for the full £35,000. However, in the event that the round is oversubscribed, priority will be given to applicants that have not previously been awarded grant.We have been involved in nearly 100 health plans and many successful grant applications in previous rounds of the FFIS on behalf of our clients so give us a call to get your application on the right track.For more information call Darrell on 07974928051.

FFIS Grants Announcement

FOOTTRIMMING

Contact Steve Austin

01565 723036Visit per cow

£12 – 4 feet £10 – 2 feetBlock – £9.50

Bandage – £2.50No Call out fee for 12 or more cows

FREEZEBRANDING

Contact Malcolm Pheasant

01565 723036Prices for 3 digits

Up to 15 Cows – £8015 – 50 Cows – £4.50 per cow

50+ cows £4 per cowEvery extra digit £1 per cow. Both sides +75%

2-3 weeks before lambingEnsure your drug cupboard is fully stocked with all your requirements. The equipment needed may include:• Arm length disposable plastic gloves• Clean bucket, warm water, soap,

approved surgical scrub solution (e.g. Hibiscrub), towel

• A lambing snare (various designs are available)

• Lambing ropes• Obstetrical lubricant• Disposable syringes, needles, antibiotics,

analgesics, Calcium/Magnesium/Glucose bottle.

• Ketosis (twin lamb) drench• Harnesses/retainers/suture material for

vaginal prolapses• Respiratory stimulants/ revivers e.g.

Dopram VWe have put together the essentials in a handy lambing tool box so you can have all your gear in one place and move it around easily. Call Mark Pass at Beeston to order your lambing survival kit!Monitor ewes for signs of prolapses, twin lamb disease and calcium deficiency which may indicate that things are not going as planned.

Lead up to lambing Continue to monitor ewes for signs of twin lamb and hypocalcaemia (low calcium). Treat accordingly with ketosis/propylene glycol drench (50-100ml/day) and “calcium”

injection (50-80ml CMD20 under the skin). If you require further advice just call one of the vets.If, despite your best efforts you have an abortion rate above 2%, or a lower lambing percentage/high number of empty ewes, then this may indicate an infectious cause (toxoplasmosis, Enzootic Abortion, Campylobacter) or other disease e.g. Liver Fluke. We would advise that you have these investigated. A fresh aborted lamb and clean afterbirth (with cotyledons) are ideal for abortions or blood test for empty ewes. Please speak to a vet if you would like further advice, we are more than happy to help!A successful lambing is the cornerstone of a profitable sheep flock, with more lambs reared per ewe. A flock health plan aims to make your business as efficient and healthy as possible. Please contact us if you would like further advice.

Preparing for Laming

Continued From Front PageClinical Signs . . .

Clinical signs of pregnancy toxaemia (listed as the disease progresses)• Does not come to feed trough• solated,• Dull and depressed• Blind• Head pressing• Fine muscle tremors of the head• Weakness and recumbency• Death

A number of you have successfully tried calf coats/ jackets to keep baby calves warm in drafty or cold buildings. Young calves can use a considerable amount of energy maintaining their body temperature which in extreme cases leads to mobilisation of body tissues when we want the calf to be getting bigger not smaller. Don’t under estimate how much impact this can have. During cold weather it is recommended that calves are fed more to compensate for heat loss to the elements, provide extra shelter if calves are in a very open environment and try a few calf coats/ jackets to keep the heat in and the cold out! Calf coats/ jackets are available through Beeston Animal Health and are most effective on smaller calves and dairy calves which have less muscle than continentals.

Unfortunately when it comes to talking about TB in our region there is not a lot of good news with more herds under restriction, more cattle being slaughtered and more time being spent testing cattle.

Virtually the entire region is in annual testing now and with DEFRA imposing a 3km radius testing zone around new breakdowns many herds are testing more than once a year. A significant number of herds are on short interval or 60 day testing as they try to get clear of TB.

It seems inevitable that this will be the case for the foreseeable future until the disease is tackled in all the host species with equal vigour. Over the past couple of years a number of clients have invested in improved handling facilities largely to cope with TB testing and other whole herd health procedures.

Safety is always a prime consideration when testing especially when doing those cattle that aren’t so well handled or used to strangers. A good race and crush handling system has become a necessity to cope with the demands of the job and to enable TB testing to be completed without taking up too much for you and your staff.

In addition good facilities that cattle are familiar with makes the procedure less stressful for the cattle which reduces the impact on production. It is not necessary to spend a lot to get a good race system but it is essential that you plan it well. Speak to one of the vets if you would like input into your system’s design.

We obviously will be only too glad to help ensure your race works well with good cow flow and safety for man and beast! Frequent testing and whole herd handling procedures are here to stay so save yourself some money and invest in good efficient animal handling

TBupdate

EMBRYONICSEMBRYO TRANSFER AND TRAINING SPECIALISTS

SAFE USE OF ELECTRIC GRINDER 2 DAY WORKSHOP MIDDLEWICH FEB 17-18A must have course for all herdsmen

SAFE USE OF VETERINARY MEDICINES ON FARM FEB 12TH NORTHWICHA useful workshop in the administration and storage of meds including wormers and

intravenous injections

3 DAY DIY AI COURSE MARCH 3-5 NORTHWICH DEFRA approved practical hands on course including fertility and legislation

CALF REARING 1 DAY WORKSHOP MARCH 7TH GOOSTREYCovering nutrition, housing,disbudding, vaccinations, disease prevention and castration

1 DAY REFRESHERS AVAILABLE IN DIY AI PRIVATELY FROM MARCH 24-28Be prepared for breeding season and brush up on your technique

4 DAY PROFESSIONAL FOOT TRIMMING APRIL 28- MAY 1Comprehensive course covering everything from lameness issues, foot disease,

Crush demos , and the latest trimming techniques with World renowned Dutch trainer Pieter Kloosterman

FOOT TRIMMING REFRESHER/CHECK DAY MAY 2NDEnsure you are still working to a good standard

TRIAGE FOR FARMERS 1 DAY WORKSHOP MAY 4TH NORTHWICHLearn how to deal with non emergencies on farm and when to call for veterinary

intervention

HERDSMAN FOOT TRIMMING JUN 2-4 IN CHESHIREIdeal for beginners, taught via the 5 step Dutch method, routine trimming, attaching

blocks and bandages

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY JUNE 9-10Ideal workshop for small holders

SAFE HANDLING OF CATTLE JUNE 11THEssential workshop for all farm hands explaining the do’s and don’t’s when handling

cattle and Bulls

Please note that Embryonics now offer additional farm services at competitive costs such as:

Freeze branding, foot trimming, body condition scoring,show clipping and mobility scoring.

We are considering offering a sheep shearing service in thefuture dependant on need so please contact us if this may be a

service you would be interested in using.

Courses for farmers

Methane gas released by dairy cows has caused an explosion in a cow shed in Germany, police said. The roof was damaged and one of the cows was injured in the blast in the central German town of Rasdorf. Thanks to the belches and flatulence of the 90 dairy cows in the shed, high levels of the gas had built up. Then “a static electric charge caused the gas to explode with flashes of flames” the force said in a statement quoted by Reuters news agency. Emergency services attended the farm and took gas readings to test for the risk of further blasts, said local media. Cows are believed to emit up to 500 litres of methane - a potent greenhouse gas - each per day.

German cows cause methane blast in Rasdorf!!

Winterwoollies